Heel-stiffener machine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. W. LITOH. HEEL STIPFENER MACHINE.

No. 480,023. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

'IHE uonms PETERS co., mum-mun, wusumamn, n, c.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. W. LITOH. HEEL STIFPENB'R MACHINE.

N0. 480,023. Patented AugfZ, 1892.

WITNESSES, 6?. 3 79M- @dcfldz MOdBL) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' L. W. LITCH.

I HEEL STIPFENER MACHINE.

No. 480,023. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

W/ "FA/55555: 6% $3: //W wax/dz.

(No Model. v I e Sheets-Sheet 4.

L. W. LITUH.

HEEL STIFFENER MACHINE.

No. 480,023. I I Patented Aug. 2, 1-892.

(NoModeL) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

L. W. LITGH. HEEL STIPPENER MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 2

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

L. W. LITOH.

HEEL STIFFENER MACHINE.

Patented Aug; 2, 1892.

FIG/3 WIT/\IEEEEE. lplysNTu 6% 9M. gum/MM 8 8, Fig.2.

' NITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

LEMUEL W. LITGH, OF SIVAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-STIFFENER MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,023, dated August2, 1892.

Application filed February 21, 1891. Renewed June 2O 1892. Serial No.437,346. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL W. LITOH, of Swampsoott, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Making Heel-Stiffeners or Counters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and rapidlyoperating machine adapted to perform the first operation of formin g acounter or heel-stiffen er in making what is known as a two-processcounterviz., one in which the blank of material is molded to itsapproximate shape, but left with its sides substantially parallel by onemachine and subsequently completed by curving its sides inwardly to givethem the convergence required in a completed counter by anotheroperation, the present invention relating entirely to the firstoperation.

The invention consists in the several improvements hereinafter describedand claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a counteranachine provided withmy improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. at represents a sectionon line 4. 4:, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a similar view to Fig. 3, partsbeing shown in different positions. Fig. 6 represents a section on line7 7, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a detail view, hereinafter referred to.Fig. 8 represents a partial section on line Fig. 9 represents a sectionon line 9 9, Fig. 2. Fig. 10 represents a section on line 10 10, Fig. 2.Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent detail views. Figs. 16 and 17represent perspective views of the counter-blank and counter,respectively, as formed by my improved machine.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, a represents a fixed head or cross-bar secured rigidlyto vertical standards a a, which form parts of the supporting-frame ofthe machine and also serve as guides, upon which the cross-head 1),hereinafter referred to, reciprocates vertically. To

the fixed head a is rigidly secured the male mold or former c, the lowerportion of which has the form which it is desired to impart to theinterior of the counter.

d represents the female mold or former, which is secured to a holder (1,affixed to the cross-head b, and is formed to co-operate with the malemold in giving the desired shape to a counter-blankviz., substantiallythe shape shown in Fig. 17. The cross-head b is reciprocated verticallyby any suitable means, such as a toggle-joint, one of the members 6 ofwhich is shown as connected to the lower portion of said cross-head. Ido not deem it necessary, however, to show and describe the mechanismfor reciprocating the cross-head, such mechanism being well known inmachines of this class.

f represents a yoke rigidly secured to the mold holder or receptacle dby studs or bolts g g, so that it will move therewith. The form andconstruction of said yoke will be best un: derstood by reference toFigs. 2, 6, and 7. Within the opening of the yoke is placed a block h,secured in position by vertical guides 71 1, attached to the yoke (seeFig. 7) and upon which guides the block is adapted to slide.

jj represent plates, which I term wipers, pivotally secured at 70 to theblock h and provided with slots Z Z.

m m represent pins secured to lugs n on the yoke f and adapted to fitthe slots of the wipers j, the arrangement being such that the positionof the wipers may be changed from a horizontal position, as seen inFigs. 1 and 8, to a vertical position, as seen in Fig. 6, as will bepresently explained.

0 represents what I term a binding-bar.

Said bar is adjustably secured to the rear' side of the head orcross-bar a and has a sliding fit at its lower end in an aperture in thebase-plate I), attached to the cross-head Z), said aperture preventingthe binding bar from moving laterally in any direction. (See Figs. 2 and3.) Said binding-bar is provided with sockets p p, in which are placedspringpressed pins q q, adapted to engage at one of their endsprojections r r, adjustably secured to a standard f, attached to thebaseplate Z), Figs. 2, 8, and 13, whereby the pins may be moved towardand from the block it to engage and release the same, as hereinafterdescribed.

In the binding-bar 0 I have shown what I term a take-up, composed ofdogst t, pivoted in recesses u 'Lb, Fig. 4., in said bar and arranged sothat their lower ends may project from said recesses sufficiently toengage the rear side of the yoke f, said dogs being held in the positionshown by adjustingscrews 0 1;, extending through said bar and bearingagainst the dogs, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the arrangement beingsuch that when the flange forming mechanism is brought into operativeposition the yoke f may be prevented from yielding in the direction ofthe binding-bar, as will be hereinafter explained.

The operation of the described devices is as follows: A blank w, Fig.16,to be converted into a partially-completed counter or stiffener, Fig.17, is placed upon a suitable gage y, attached to the holder cl in suchposition that the middle of its length is above the female mold, asshown in Fig. 9, and directly under the male mold c,the position of themachine be ing that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8, in which the femalemold and its attached devices are represented as in the depressedposition necessary for the convenient insertion of the blank and itsremoval after being operated upon by the male mold. The blank beinginthe position described and power being applied in any suitable manner,the cross-head 1) moves upwardly, carrying with it the female mold andits attached devices to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which positionit will be observed the female mold engages the male mold with the blankw therebetween. This operation forces the blank into said female mold toform the body of the stiffener by its contact with the male mold in theupward movement just described.

The flange 2 of the stiffener is formed simultaneously with theformation of the body by the following means: During the upward movementof the female mold,as hereinbefore described, the projection 'r on thestandard 8 bears on the outer end of the pin q in the hinding-bar 0,causing said pin to project through the binding-bar sufficiently toengage the block it, as shown in Fig. 15. Said block has been carriedupwardly with the yoke f to this point from the position shown in Fig.3. The engagement of the pin q with said block arrests the upwardmovement of the block, and the continued upward movement of the yokecauses the pins on m, thereto attached, to 0p crate to swing thewipersjj from the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which is the normalor open position, to that shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 14, which is theclosed position, the wipers being thus given a swinging movement, whichcauses their inner edges to wipe or turn inwardly the projecting edge ofthe blank and convert the same into a flange. Just before the bottomportion of the yoke f, which contains an adjusting-screw y, has reachedthe block h the projection r is carried above the pin q, as shown inFig. 5, and the latter is retracted by means of its spring f and thusdisengaged from the block h, the adjusting-screw 3' being then broughtinto contact with the bottom of said block, so that it is carriedupwardly with the yoke and female mold, which brings the projecting edgeg into contact with the stiffener and forming the lower portion 2 of theflange nearly simultaneously with the formation of the sides 3 3, asshown in Figs. 5 and 14. It will be seen that the entire flange isformed by the motion of a wiping device across the width of the flange,the side portions of the flange being formed by the wipers jj, whichwhen in action move crosswise of said portions, while the rear portionof the flange connecting the side portions is formed by the portion ofthe block it that projects between said wipers, the block movingcrosswise of the portion of the flange which it forms. I have found bypractical experience that this method of forming the flangeviz., bywiping across the width of the flange along its entire 1ength-is morerapid and produces a much better flange than the common method offorming the flange by a single wiper, which moves substantially parallelwith or in the direction of the length of the sides of the counter anddisplaces or stretches the material of the flange in the direction ofthe length of its side portions. As the action of the wipers in formingthe flange causes a considerable strain upon the yoke ftoward thebinding-bar, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 that the position ofthe yoke during said operation is such that the take-up pieces 15 If inthe binding-bar are brought into contact with the rear, top, and bottomportions of the yokef, so that it is impossible for the latter to yieldor move away from the stiffener during the described operation. Afterthe operation of forming the flange has been completed the head I)descends and with it the attached devices. During the downward movementthe pin is engaged with the projection 0" on the standard s and said pinis projected through the bar and engages the lower or under side of theblock h, as shown in Fig. 12. The downward movement of said block isthus arrested and the wipers are caused to open to their originalposition.

The binding-baris provided with an adj usting device whereby it may bereadily changed vertically to bring the pins q q into the properposition in relation to the projections r r and the take-up pieces withrelation to the yoke. Said devices include a bracket 71/, rigidlysecured to the rear side of the head a, the lower portion of the bracketbeing grooved to receive the upper end of the binding-bar. A slot-t" isformed in said upper end of the bar for the reception of a boltj, whichenters the bracket. The upper end of the bar 0 is bored to a suitabledepth to receive the lower end of a screw which screw is engaged with athreaded socket in the bracket h. The

lower end of said screw has a groove m, into which 1s adapted to projectabolt a, said bolt entering the groove so as to allow the screws to turnfreely. By loosening the bolt j and turning the screw the binding-bar isadj ustable to any desired degree. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The projectionsr r are also adj ustable on the standard 8 by means of screws 0'entering said projections through slots p in said standards. (See Fig.11.)

I have shown the best mechanism at present known to me for operating theflangeforming wipers; but I do not desire to be'understood as limitingmyself to the exact details of construction and mechanical arrangementherein shown, but may vary somewhat the means for giving the wiperstheir movement across the sides of the flange by such changes inconstruction as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

1 claim- 1. In a counter machine, the combination of the fixed maleformer, the female former mounted on a reciprocating cross-head, theyoke affixed to said cross-head, the block h, adapted to move with saidyoke and also independently thereof on vertical guides in the yoke, theside-wipers j j, pivoted to said block, studs affixed to the yoke andprojecting into slot in said pivoted wipers, and means for ar-' restingsaid block at a given point in the movement of the female mold, therebycausing the wipers to swing crosswise of the path in which the femaleformer moves, as set forth.

2. In a counter-machine, the combination of the fixed male former, thefemale former mounted on a reciprocating cross-head, the yoke affixed tothe cross-head and provided with vertical guides, the block h, movableon said guides and having the flange-wiper g,-

the side wipers pivoted to said block-at opposite ends of the wiper g,the binding-bar 0, secured to a fixed support and provided with thespring-retracted pins or bolts q q, adapted to engage the block h, andthe standards s, affixed to the reciprocating cross-head and providedwith cams or projections 1* r, adapted to project said pins, as setforth.

4.; In a counter-machine, the combination of the fixed male former, thefemale former mounted on a reciprocating cross-head, the yoke affixed tothe cross-head and provided with vertical guides, the block it, movableon said guides and having the flange-wiper g, the side wipers pivoted tosaid block at opposite ends of the wiper g, the binding-bar 0, securedto a fixed support and provided with the spring retracted pins or boltsq q, adapted to engage the block h, the standards 3, affixed to thereciprocating cross-head and provided with cams or projections r 7'',adapted to project said pins, and means for vertically ad j usting saidbinding-bar, as set forth.

5. In a counter-machine, the combination of the fixed male former, thefemale'former mounted on a reciprocating cross-head, the yoke afiixed tothe cross-head and provided with VerticaL guides, the block it, movableon said guides and having the flange-wiper g, the side wipers pivoted tosaid block at opposite ends of the wiper g, the binding-bar 0, securedto a fixed support and provided with the spring-retracted pins or bolts(1 q, adapted to engage the block h, the standards 8, affixed to thereciprocating cross-head and provided with cams or projections o" 1",adapted to project said pins, and the takeup pieces 25 t, mounted onsaid binding-bar and arranged to rigidly support the yoke andflange-wipers during the flange-forming operation, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of February, A D.1891.

LEMUEI. BLITOH.

